Maddox (writer) facts for kids

George Ouzounian (born June 2, 1978), known as Maddox, is an American blogger, YouTuber, and author. He became famous on the internet in the early 2000s. This was thanks to his website, The Best Page in the Universe, which shares his strong opinions. He still runs this website today. His first book, The Alphabet of Manliness (2006), became a bestseller on the New York Times list.

Maddox's Career

Maddox started his website, The Best Page in the Universe, in 1997. He chose his pen name, Maddox, from an old Japanese cartoon called Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01. Most of the content on his website is satirical, meaning it uses humor to make fun of things.

In 2006, Maddox said that his website's online store earned enough money for him to live comfortably. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a computer programmer until 2004.

Books and Shows

On June 6, 2006, Maddox went to San Diego Comic-Con to show off his comic book, The Best Comic in the Universe. He also worked on a TV show for Spike TV called Manformation, but this project was stopped in 2011.

In 2010, he appeared on the TV show Penn & Teller: ...! and started his own web series on YouTube, called The Best Show in the Universe. Maddox also appeared in the web series Tournament of Nerds in 2012. He played the character Kool-Aid Man. Maddox has also performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and acted in the horror movie Ooga Booga.

Maddox has written three books. His first book, The Alphabet of Manliness, was published in 2006. It quickly became the number one seller on Amazon.com. This book has drawings and a chapter for each letter of the alphabet. Each chapter talks about a "manly" topic, like "N is for Norris, Chuck".

In 2011, his second book, I Am Better Than Your Kids, came out. Maddox announced in 2015 that he planned to write a third book. He shared updates in 2016 that the first draft was done. This book, titled F*ck Whales: Petty Essays from a Brilliant Mind, was released in October 2017.

In 2018, Maddox kept making episodes of his YouTube web series The Best Show in the Universe. His YouTube channel has about 250,000 subscribers. In the past, each episode often came with an article on a similar topic posted on The Best Page in the Universe. Maddox also sells clothes, hats, mugs, and other items through his online store. Since 2020, Maddox often streams on Twitch. He plays as fun characters like "Bananadox," a talking banana, and "Cowboy Ox-Mad."

The Best Page in the Universe

The Best Page in the Universe is a personal satirical and humor website created by Maddox. He launched it in 1997 without expecting it to become very popular. At first, it was just a place for Maddox to share his writings while he worked.

Over time, the website became famous enough that Maddox could quit his day job. He then focused on writing full-time.

The Best Page in the Universe started from a text document Maddox wrote in 1996. He shared this list with people online, and they liked it a lot. This positive feedback made him decide to create the website. Maddox chose the name The Best Page in the Universe even though he knew some search engines might block sites with "the best" in their title.

How the Website Looks

The design of The Best Page in the Universe is very simple. This was mainly to save money on internet costs. Maddox also said that the simple look was a way to protest websites that had "fancy HTML" but not much interesting content.

The top of the page has a picture of Maddox's face. It's placed over a statue of Che Guevara, a famous revolutionary. In the picture, Maddox wears a beret with a Jolly Roger (pirate flag) and an eye patch. Maddox uses this image to make fun of the idea of a revolutionary hero. He says he is neither a socialist nor a communist. Instead, he often says he is a pirate and shows himself that way in his articles and drawings.

Maddox believes that reading dark text on a light background is like "staring at a light bulb." So, his site uses large, light-colored text on a black background. He thinks this makes it easier on the eyes.

The website only advertises itself. It sells items like stickers and clothes that have phrases from his articles. Maddox chose not to use other advertisements. He thought they might try to control what he wrote.

Many of Maddox's articles include drawings made with Microsoft Paint. He sometimes finishes them using Adobe Photoshop. Maddox also has a section where he criticizes angry messages he gets about his website. When he replies, he breaks down the email and makes fun of parts that don't make sense. He also corrects any grammar or spelling mistakes. The site has some "hidden pages" too. Many of these are unfinished works or early versions of articles.

Podcasts

In 2014, Maddox started a weekly podcast called The Biggest Problem in the Universe. He hosted it with Dax Herrera, who used the name "Dick Masterson." In this show, each host would talk about a problem and ask the audience to vote on it. The podcast had its last episode in 2016.

After that, Maddox created a new podcast network called Madcast Media. The first show on this network was The Best Debate in the Universe. In this show, Maddox argues both sides of a topic himself.

About His Life

Maddox graduated from Woods Cross High School in Woods Cross, Utah. He also attended the University of Utah.